Wichita eagle., 1887-08-09
RIFLE AND REVOLVER.
CLAIM JUMPING IN THE PALMY
DAYS OF NEVADA MINING.

Eow Matters Were Carried on during
tho Iawless Period-A Gang of Robbers
Brought to Terms-A Lucrative In
dustry.
aYou people in st. Louis" said an Old 49er,
sknow nothing of what mining boom really
is. Here the people are greatly excited II
mine advances 100 per cent in value during
month or two, but during the palmy days OF
Nevada mining such changes were matters OF
daily occurrence, and occasioned no excite
ment at all. If man struck ore anywhere
in good locality he could sell out for good
price within twenty-fonr hours, and without
the long negotiations which are the custom
here. But If he determined to retain the
property be had to defend it with rife and
revolver, as he could expect no assistance
from the officers of the law.
II was in Phoebe during 1871 and 1872, and
certainly such lawless community was never
seen before A few days after my arrival in
that camp witnessed an instance of the way
matters were carried on. Two American
miners had uncovered a rich vein of silver
and were taking out rich oar by the wagon
load. One morning, on going to work, they
found their claim occupied by dozen foreign
ers, who refused to give up possession, and
threatened the owners with instant death if
they were in any way interfered with. An
appeal to the law was greeted with scornful
laughter, and the miners saw themselves
about to be deprived of the fruits of their
honest toll When they were about to give
I'D in despair all attempts to recover their
property from the hands of the lawless rob
bers, help from an unexpected quarter ar
rived.
ONE OF THE ARGoNAUTS.
aJack Kendrick, a man universally re-
spected and feared on account of his upright
ness and determination, stepped up to them,
and said that if they would give him one
third interest in the mine he would drive off
the robbers. These terms were at once agreed
to, and without moments delay kendrick
sprang to the mouth of the tunnel and Or
dered those within to give up possession at
once Throwing down their tools and draw
ing their revolvers, the whole band came
charging out, with the intention Of annihi,
lating the man who presumed to interfere
with them.
"Kendrick had taken his measures well As
soon as he spoke he sprang to the top of the
bank at the mouth of the tunnel, and, when
the claim jumpers appeared, opened fire on
them with his Henry rife. Seven were shot
down before they fairly cleared the tunnel,
and the remaining five, terrified at the fate
of their comrades, made for town at top
speed, with Kendrick in hot pursuit, and be-
fore they found shelter three more fell before
his deadly rifle This wholesale slaughter
struck terror into the lawless element, and
about put an end to the high handed outrages
which had previously been of almost daily
occurrence Kendrick is now one of the
most highly respected citizens of Silver City,
N NJ
A LUCRATIVE PRACTICE.
"One very lucrative industry was pursued
by a number of alleged miners, which for
year or two yielded them a handsome in
come. Whenever these gentry learned that
a trade was about to be consummated, they
would come forward and set up claim to
the property in question. No one wished
to buy mine and a lawsuit together and the
seller was obliged to purchase the pretended
claim in order to complete his sale.
This was carried on for some time, until
the miners determined to put stop to it. In
one day several of these bogus claimants were
taken out of Virginia City and hanged, and
the vigilance committee gave notice that any
one who in future set up false claim to a
mine would meet like fate. This stopped all
attempts of this nature, and by 1878 the reign
of fraud and violence was about at an end
Since that time the mines have been com
paratively quiet, but none who lived there
during the early days will ever forget the
wild lawlessless that prevailed. st. Louis
Globe Democrat